Since the new healthcare law went into effect March 2010, individual major medical insurance plans and employer sponsored group health plans have undergone many positive changes that will benefit you. This includes mandated coverage for preventive care services and expanded eligibility for young adults less than age 26. For a summary of the new healthcare law and timeline, including the latest information regarding new consumer protections, visit our healthcare reform blog.

Other types of health insurance that you can shop and apply for online through this site for New Hampshire include:

Individual Dental Insurance

Are you one of 150 million estimated Americans who do not have dental insurance? If so, have you considered an individual dental insurance plan? Full coverage dental insurance helps maintain proper health and financial well-being. Choose from a variety of plans in New Hampshire. You can even continue to use your own dentist! Inexpensive dental insurance is perfect for students too. Get a quote and apply online today. It is fast and easy!

If you are unable to qualify for individual major medical insurance in New Hampshire due to a pre existing health condition or cannot afford it, then a guaranteed health insurance plan or mini med is an alternative worth considering. Also referred to as health insurance for pre existing conditions, this type of individual medical insurance is often called the cheapest health insurance. There is generally no medical underwriting so acceptance is usually guaranteed. Since benefit payments made by the guaranteed medical insurance plan are fixed, the coverage is not considered major medical insurance. Additionally, health conditions that existed prior to the effective date of the medical insurance policy are not covered for typically 12 months. Having some form of medical insurance, however, enables individuals to gain access to the healthcare system in New Hampshire and typically receive a higher level of care than if they did not have health insurance. Think about it. What is one of the first questions a healthcare provider asks when making an appointment? “Do you have medical insurance?”

Medical Insurance Overseas

Are you traveling from New Hampshire to a destination outside the United States or taking a school trip to another country? Medical insurance overseas and international student medical insuranceis designed to provide additional protection should you or a family member require healthcare overseas. Since most individual medical insurance offers limited or no coverage outside the United States, make sure you are adequately protected before you leave New Hampshire. Medical insurance overseas and international student medical insurance provides additional benefits, such as emergency air evacuation and travel assistance if you lose your passport or experience flight delays or cancellations due to weather or other causes.

Critical Illness Insurance

Could your nest egg withstand the financial impact of a critical illness? Even though medical insurance covers the cost of medical services and supplies, surgery and hospitalization, there are still many uninsured expenses, such as deductibles, prescription drugs, home healthcare and private nursing, and lost income/ wages. Critical illness protection insurance will pay a lump sum of cash upon the first diagnosis of a critical illness. Critical illness protection works well with a high deductible medical insurance plan because the premium savings can be used to pay for critical illness insurance and the cash benefit can help cover the high deductible.

Prescription Drug Card

Do you not have medical insurance in New Hampshire that covers prescription medication? Are you paying for expensive drugs out of your pocket? If yes, then consider a prescription drug card. It can help make the cost of prescription medication more affordable for you and your family. Learn more about how a prescription drug card can help you today!

Free Health Discount Plan

As a thank you to our New Hampshire visitors, we offer a free health discount plan (not insurance). You will save 13% to 65% on prescriptions at 50,000 participating pharmacies nationally, including major chains. Also, save 25% to 40% over usual dental charges at 101,000 dental providers nationally, and 10% to 50% off eyewear, contact lenses and corrective surgery at 10,500 optical centers and major vision chains! No personal information required. This free drug discount card is even valid on many prescriptions for your pet! Get your free health discount plan now!

State Facts & Health Statistics

New Hampshire

U.S. Overall

Total Population

1,305,000

303,343,300

Life Expectancy (years)

79.5

78.0

Median Annual Income

$66,654

$49,949

Healthcare Spending per Person

$5,432

$5,283

Average Annual % Growth- Healthcare Spending

7.6%

5.5%

Uninsured Population

135,400

49,997,900

Average Daily Cost of Inpatient Hospital Stay

$1,923

$1,782

Adult Smokers*

17.0%

18.3%

Adult Overweight/ Obesity Rate*

60.2%

60.8%

Child Overweight/ Obesity Rate*

29.4%

31.6%

Adults with Diabetes*

7.1%

8.3%

Alzheimer’s Deaths per 100,000

28.9

22.7

Invasive Cancer Rate per 100,000

493.1

461.8

Heart Disease Deaths per 100,000

174.9

190.9

* % of population
Kaiser Family Foundation Reports- state health facts 2005-2010

Medical Insurance New Hampshire

A new report by the Kaiser Family Foundation reveals the results of an in depth study into the competitiveness of each state’s individual health insurance marketplace. The results will likely surprise you. This report is important because a “competitive” market is considered healthy and robust with no one insurer dominating the market place. Generally speaking, a more competitive market translates to more affordable medical insurance.

The greater a health insurance company’s market share, for example, the more leverage it has to negotiate deeper discounts with healthcare providers. If the claims expense of other health insurers is higher, then it is more difficult for these carriers to compete for business (higher cost of doing business means higher premiums are needed to cover the added cost).

For purposes of this study, two factors were measured to determine the competitiveness of each state’s health insurance market. They were: 1) evaluating how much of the marketplace is controlled by one medical insurance company or health plan, and 2) counting the number of insurance companies that compete in the state that have at least a five percent market share.

Why these two factors? If one health insurer, for example, controls more than 50% of the individual medical insurance marketplace, then that carrier is able to exert more influence over the market, thereby resulting in a less competitive environment. On the other hand, if there are many medical insurance carriers competing for business in a given market with no one company controlling more than 50% of the marketplace, then that market is considered more competitive.

“Competitive” does not necessarily mean, however, that medical insurance premiums in the state are low cost and affordable. Although New York, for example, has a very competitive individual medical insurance market (five 5 insurers with more than a five percent market share with no one carrier having more than 34% market penetration), it is one of the least affordable states for medical insurance. Why? Medical insurance premiums are based on the cost of healthcare. If the cost of medical services and supplies are expensive, then so will the cost of insurance. In sharp contrast to New York is Alabama. Considered the least competitive market for individual medical insurance, Alabama has only two insurers with more than a 5% market share, but one carrier has an 86% market share.

States with the least competitive individual medical insurance marketplace include:

Alabama

District of Columbia

Illinois

Indiana

Iowa

Kentucky

Louisiana

Maryland

Minnesota

Nebraska

New Hampshire

New Jersey

North Carolina

North Dakota

South Dakota

Vermont

Virginia

States with the most competitive individual medical insurance marketplace are:

Colorado

Georgia

Missouri

New York

Oregon

Pennsylvania

Tennessee

Wisconsin

The three states with the highest number of health insurance companies competing for individual medical insurance business are Colorado, Georgia and Oregon. Each of these states has seven health insurers that have at least a five percent market share.

As it relates to the remaining states not mentioned above, the study reported that a single insurer dominated at least 50% of the individual market, resulting in a less competitive climate.

Regardless of what state you live in, it always pays to shop for an individual medical insurance plan to ensure you secure the highest quality, lowest cost health insurance plan available. Our online health insurance quotes will enable you to run side by side comparisons of health plans from top medical and dental insurance carriers in your state. Get started today!

In 2005, total HSA enrollment was only 1 million persons, while 11.4 million individuals as of January 2011 were enrolled in an HSA coupled with a high deductible medical insurance plan. The 11.4 million represents 6.6% of the total enrollment in private health insurance (under age 65). More than 10% of all new health plan purchased today are HSAs with high deductible plans. Participation is almost evenly split between females (49%) and males (51%). Of the enrollees in the individual health insurance market, 49% were age 40 or older, while 51% were under age 40.

States with the highest enrollment in HSAs with high deductible medical insurance plans are:

Alaska

California

Colorado

Connecticut

Delaware

Florida

Georgia

Illinois

Indiana

Iowa

Kentucky

Louisiana

Maine

Maryland

Michigan

Minnesota

Montana

Nebraska

New Hampshire

North Carolina

Ohio

South Carolina

Tennessee

Texas

Vermont

Wisconsin

Why are HSAs so popular? Despite the myth that high deductible medical insurance is more risky than traditional “PPO copayment plans,” HSAs/ high deductible health plans can actually reduce your out of pocket exposure if you require major surgery or hospitalization. Since high deductible plans pay 100% of covered charges after the deductible has been satisfied when using network healthcare providers, there is no additional out of pocket expense. In contrast, traditional “PPO copayment plans” typically pay 80% after the deductible. So, in addition to always having copays, you are also required to satisfy the maximum out-of-pocket before the health plan pays 100% of covered charges when using a network healthcare provider. This can cost you several thousand more dollars out of your pocket.

Increased tax deduction for out-of-pocket healthcare expenses, such as vision, dental and prescription drugs- even though they may not be covered under the high deductible medical insurance plan

An HSA paired with high deductible medical insurance plan may not be right for you if:

Have minimal healthcare needs and want the convenience and comfort of copayments, rather than a calendar year deductible to satisfy

Would rather pay a higher premium and less out of pocket for office visits, lab work and prescription drugs

If you want to learn more about why HSAs are considered affordable medical insurance, the requirements to set one up and how file your tax return, visit the HSA section of our Medical Insurance Research Center. You might be surprised at how relatively easy HSAs and high deductble medical insurance plans are to understand and effective at providing lower cost health insurance for you and your family.

An HSA is simply a bank account that is used in conjunction with a high deductible medical insurance plan. The HSA is designed to help fund the deductible and pay for other qualified out-of-pocket healthcare expenses, such as medical, dental and vision expenses with tax-free money. Monies deposited into an HSA are tax deductible and funds withdrawn to pay for covered healthcare expenses are not taxed. HSA monies can be invested and accumulate tax-free for retirement.

The National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA) recently published the results of their annual survey, called “NCQA’s Health Insurance Plan Rankings.” It evaluated 390 health plans in three categories: 1) Medicare, 2) Medicaid and 3) Private (commercial) Health Insurance Plans. While the rankings are predominantly focused on quality, consumers must still do their own homework to determine if a particular health plan provides affordable medical insurance.

For individuals seeking enrollment in a Health Maintenance Organization (HMO), this report is useful because it provides information, such as overall member satisfaction, quality of medical care provided and emphasis on wellness/ prevention. Unlike a traditional Preferred Provider Organization (PPO) where there is more control and flexibility over healthcare treatment (not required to select a primary care physician or obtain a referral to see a specialist), you have less choice, freedom and flexibility with HMOs. As a result, you want to confirm the HMO health plan provides high quality care and receives satisfactory rankings from its existing members.

The rankings are based on the combined scores for health plans in Healthcare Effectiveness Data and Information Set, commonly called HEDIS; the Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems, or CAHPS, and NCQA Accreditation standards score. Consumers and employers assess plans assess plans prior to annual enrollment periods.

While this is the sixth year of the survey, historically, only HMOs were evaluated. This year, however, marked the entry of PPO Plans to the survey.

Tufts Associated Health Maintenance Organization (HMO/POS Plans) – serving Maine, Hew Hampshire and Rhode Island, this health plan received high marks for consumer protection, quality improvement and clinical effectiveness. It also has the highest enrollment in consumer driven health plans in the state

Group Health Cooperative of South Central Wisconsin (HMO Plan) – serving Wisconsin, this health plan is recognized as having the highest ranking in quality among all managed healthcare organizations in the state

Geisinger Health Plan (HMO/POS Plan) – serving residents of 43 counties throughout central and northeastern Pennsylvania, this health plan is one of the nation’s largest rural HMO’s

Harvard Pilgrim Health Care (PPO Plan) – serving Massachusetts, this health plan earned near perfect ratings for prevention services. Also, it is the highest ranked health insurance plan for overall member satisfaction in the New England Region according to J.D. Power and Associates 2011 Members Health Insurance Plan Study

As a private 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization, NCQA’s purpose is to improve health care quality. Since 1990, NCQA has been a central figure in driving improvement throughout the health care system, helping to elevate the issue of health care quality to the top of the national agenda.